Chute apparatus for concrete mixtures.



No. 684,696. Patented Oct. I5, I901.

I G. W. LANGE. CHUTE APPARATUS FOR CONCRETE MIXTURES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EETcE.

GEORGE TV. LANGE, OF l/VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THECRANFORD PAVING COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ACORPORATION OF WVEST VIRGINIA.

CHUTE APPARATUS FOR CONCRETE NHXTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 684,696, dated October1 Lpplicatien filed March 16, 1901. Serial No. 51,445. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE \V. LANGE, a resident of Washington, Districtof Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ChuteApparatus for Concrete Mixtures,

which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

It has long been the aim of engineers and contractors in the building offoundations,

to piers,and the like in deep excavations to deliver concrete1nixtures-for example, mixtures of broken stone, sand, and cementfromone level to a considerably lower level in a perfectly-mixed conditionby means of I5 an inclined chute; but this has heretofore never beensuccessfully and economically accomplished, for the reason that thelarger and heavier particles of the mixture-the broken stone-intraveling down the chute outrun the 20 finer and lighter particles-thesand and cement. Thesandandcementthereforegradually become separatedfrom the stone and retarded in travel not only because of their lighterweight, but also because of their adherence to a greater or less degreeto the surface of the chute, so that when the materials leave thedelivery end of the chute they are more or less separated or unmixed(depending largely upon the length of the chute) and 0 unfit for useunless remixed. Remixing in an excavation or at the point of use by handor by the ordinary mechanical mixers is not only in most casesimpracticable, but always involves such additional expense as to renderit prohibitive. It follows that Where initial mixing at the point of useis not possible or practicable it has heretofore been necessary to lowerthe concrete mixture in receptacles, involving increased labor,additional appa- 0 ratus, and hence large expense, avoidable byovercoming in a practicable and economical manner the unmixing incidentto the use of an inclined chute.

By my present invention I overcome the 5 difficulties and objectionsheretofore experienced in attempts to use a chute for the purpose aboveset forth.

The principal feature of said invention consists in combining with thechute, at the de livery end thereof, a hopper which acts in a mannermore fully explained hereinafter to automatically remix the materials tocorrect whatever separation or unmixing has taken place in the travel ofthe mixture down the chute. 5

The invention also embraces other features of importance, such as meansat the upper and lower ends of the chute which act to retard the travelof the mixture and tend to cause it to intermittently pass down and bedelivered from the chute in separate charges, batches, or quantities incontradisti'nction to a continuous and even flow. It has also been foundthat the hopper may be used. to great advantage for receiving the mixedmaterials from a vertically-arranged conduit or chute or from a verticalextension of an inclined chute or from a moving conveyor, such as anendless belt.

The invention in its entirety will be more fully understood by referenceto the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment ofthe invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, the upper end of thechute being omit-T ted. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3is a section through the hopper at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adetail view of the gate at the upper end of the chute. Fig.

5 is a sectional view illustrating the use of the hopper with a verticalchute. Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating the use of the hopper witha vertical extension on an inclined chute, and Fig. 7 is a similar viewillustrating the use of the hopper with a movable con-, veyer.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a mechanical mixer of anywellknown construction, located, for example, at the top of anexcavation. While it is preferable to em- 0 ploy a mechanical mixer, themixing may be effected by hand.

B is a chute or trough arranged in an inclined position and leading tothe bottom of the excavation. The trough may be lengthened and shortenedas desired by the addi* tion or removal of sections. The concretemixture-consisting, for example, of broken stone, sand, and cement isdelivered from mixer A into the upper end of chute B.

C is a gate or retarder adapted to engage across the chute a shortdistance below the ICC -position, as shown in the drawings.

delivery end of the mixer. Said gate consists of a plate 0, preferablyof sheet metal of approximately the interior shape of the chute, bolted0r riveted at its upper or outer edge to the middle part d of a U-shapedmetallic frame, the arms dd of said frame being pivoted to the mixer Aat (Z When the gate is lowered into place across the interior of thechute, the plate 0 thereof is inclined to such position as to form anacute angle with reference to the bottom of the chute below the gate, sothat the plate 0 will to a certain degree engage under the materialwhich collects in the trough above the gate. As the concrete mixturedrops into the upper end of the chute from the mixer the large andheavier particles-the stone-will to a greater or less extent collectagainst the gate. After the desired quantity or charge of materialcollects against the gate an attendant pulls on a cord e, (which passesover a pulley e and is connected to an eye a on the lower end of thegate,) swinging the gate upwardly on its pivots (1*. In its upwardmovement the gate, by reason of its inclination, carries up with it someof the mixture, consisting principally of the broken stone which'hascollected against it, and then drops said material upon the rear of thecharge as the same starts down the chute and passes under the elevatedgate. It will therefore be seen that the gate not only serves to enablethe operator or attendant to intermittently start the mixture down thechute in charges or quantities, but, furthermore, deposits a largeportion of the larger and heavier particles-the stone-at the rear of thecharge. It follows that with the charge so distributed there is adiminution in the separation or unmixing of the materials in theirtravel down the chute, the tendency being for the heavier material atthe rear to sweep the lighter material down the chute in front of it.

E is a door or retarder at the lower end of chute B, arranged to swingupon a rodf. Springsff, secured at one end to the sides of the chute,are connected at their other ends to the projecting extremities of a rodg, secured across the front ofthe door E. Springs ff act to normallyhold the doorin its closed Any loose particles or small body of materialwhich may travel down the chute in advance of the main body of one ofthe charges released by gate 0 will be arrested or retarded by door E;but when the main body of the charge strikes the door the tension of thesprings ff will be overcome and the door opened, the charge falling enmasse onto the material in the hopper.

H is a hopper open at its lower end and having a vertical front wall andinclined rear and side walls. Any suitable form of hopper havingdownwardly converging opposite walls either straight or curved may,however, be usedsuch,for example, as aconical hopper. As clearly shownin the drawings, hop

per H is supported by suitable framework, which need not be described indetail. Beneath the open end of hopper II is a spout K, wider and longerthan the opening from the hopper, suspended by uprights lo at oppositesides thereof, said uprights being pivoted at their upperends at 7c 70to cross-braces of the framework. Spout K may be tilted (see dottedElines, Fig. 2) by means of rearwardly-extending handles m m, aclearance being left between the lower extremity of the hopper and theflat bottom of the spout to permit said tilting. The delivery end ofspout K overhangs the upper end of a short inclined trough L, which isadapted to deliver the material into a wheelbarrow or the like. Trough Lis supported by a bar Z, pivotall y engaging the framework at itsopposite ends. The inclination of trough L may be varied by means ofchains n 12, one extending from each edge of the lower end of the troughto a hook it at the top of hopper H.

In order that the hopper may most efficiently perform its function ofremixing the materials to correct any separation of the fine from thelarge particles that may have taken place in the travel of the materialsdown the chute B, it is desirable that the hopper shall at all timesduring its use remain partially fullof material. Hence when work isstarted with the hopper empty a quantity of the material equal, say, toone or more charges which is first drawn out of the hopper is not used,or at least is preferably remixed by hand before using. Assuming thehopper to be partially filled, it will be seen that the impact anddriving force exerted by each charge delivered en masse from the chuteupon the top of the materials in the hopper acts to force said materialsinto a compact mass down into the tapering lower end of the hopper, theconverging side walls acting to crowd both coarse and fine materialtogether into a uniform mixture. Furthermore, the impact of the chargefalling from the chute upon the contents of the hopper causes the fineparticles of sand and cement to penetrate and lodge in the intersticesbetween the larger particles of stone. It follows that a homogeneousmixture equal to if not more perfect than that delivered by the mixer tothe chute issues from the lower end of the hopper. Said mixture is drawnfrom the hopper by an at tendant, who tiltsthe spout K by means ofhandles m. From the spout the mixture passes by short trough L into awheelbarrow or other means for conveying it to the particular point inthe excavation at which it is to be used. Although there is not so muchseparation of the fine from the coarse particles when a concrete mixturefalls through a vertical chute or conduit as when said mixture travelsdown an inclined chute, the hopper may, nevertheless, perform itsfunctions to great advantage in connection with avertical chute. Such anarrangement is shown in Fig. 5, 11 being the hopper, havinginclinedconverging walls, and B the vertical chute or conduit. The hopper notonly prevents spreading or scattering of the material, such as wouldtake place it the mixture were delivered upon a fiat surface, but, onthe contrary, acts in a manner already described to crowd and compactthe materials together into a uniform mixture.

Fig. 6 shows the hopper H used in connection with an inclined chute Bhaving a vertical extension Q leading to the hopper, which acts to forma compact mixture, as before.

Fig. 7 shows a conveyer R having an endless traveling belt r, to whichthe mixture is delivered from the mixer. The conveyer may be moved onpivot r to accommodate it to the location of hopper H, which may beeither above, below, or on a level with the mixer. In this arrangementthe hopper acts substantially as above described, although there is inthis case little, if any, unmixing to correct.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specificconstruction illustrated in the drawings, as modifications anddepartures therefrom may be made within wide limits without departingfrom the principle of the invention. Furthermore, the term chute asemployed in the specification and claims is intended to embrace anysuitable form of passage or conduit for conducting the materials and isnot restricted to a passage or conduit open along one side.

I am aware that prior to my invention concrete-mixers have been devisedwherein a small chamber having a tapering bottom is located below andforms an integral part or extension of the mixing chamber proper. Suchconstruction is in no sense the equivalent of the mixer, chute, orconveyer and hopper combined and arranged as herein set forth and cannotbe employed for the purposes of myinvention. The small chamber of saidold construction is not a chute or conveyer nor is the tapered bottom ofsaid small chamber a hopper within the meaning of such terms asordinarily employed and as employed herein.

WVhat I claim is- 1. An apparatus for mixing fine and coarse materialsand delivering the same in a thoroughly-mixed condition at a pointremote from the place of mixing, comprising a mixer at the point ofmixing, a hopper at the remote point of delivery, and a chute orconveyer extending from the mixer to the hopper.

2. An apparatus for mixing fine and coarse materials and delivering thesame in a thoroughly-mixed condition at a point remote from the place ofmixing comprisingamixer at the point of mixing, a hopper at the remotepoint of delivery all of the walls of which converge downwardly, and achute or con- Veyer extending from the mixer to the hopper.

3. Apparatus for mixing fine and coarse materials and delivering thesame from one point to another in a thoroughly-mixed con dition, saidapparatus comprising a mixer, a

chute or conveyer to which the materials are delivered from the mixer, ahopper in to which the chute or conveyer discharges, and means at thelower end of the hopper for withdraw ing the contents thereof.

4. An apparatus for mixing fine and coarse materials and delivering thesame in a thoroughlymixed condition at a point remote from the place ofmixing, comprising a mixer at the point of mixing,'a hopper at theremote point of delivery, and an inclined chute extending from the mixerto the hopper.

5. An apparatus for mixing fine and coarse materials and delivering thesame in a thoroughly-mixed condition at a point remote from the place ofmixing, comprising a mixer at the point of mixing, a hopper at theremote point of delivery all of the walls of which converge downwardly,and an inclined chute extending from the mixer to the hopper.

6. Apparatus of the kind described comprising a mixer, an inclined chuteinto which the mixer discharges, a hopper into which the lower end ofthe chute discharges, and means at the lower end of the hopper fordrawing out the contents thereof.

7. Apparatus of the kind described co1nprising a mixer, an inclinedchute into which the mixer discharges, a hopper into which the lower endof the chute discharges,and aspout located beneath the open lower end ofthe hopper and adapted to be tilted for drawing out the contents of thehopper.

8. In combination, a hopper open at its lower end, a spout locatedbeneath the open lower end of the hopper adapted to be tilted fordrawing out the contents of the hopper, and an inclined troughinto whichthe spout discharges.

9. In combination, a chute or conveyor, a hopper open at its lower endand into which the materials are discharged from the chute or conveyor,a spout located beneath the open lower end of the hopper adapted to betilted for drawing out the contents of the hopper, and an adjustableinclined trough into which the spoutdischarges.

lO. An apparatus for mixing fine and coarse materials and delivering thesame in a thoroughly-mixed condition at a point remote from the place ofmixing comprising a mixer at the point of mixing, a hopper at the remotepoint of delivery, an inclined chute extending from the mixer to thehopper, and means associated with the chute for retarding the passage ofthe materials down the same.

11. Apparatus of the kind described comprising a mixer, an inclinedchute into which the materials are discharged from the mixer, a hopperat the lower end of the chute, and a gate at the upper end of the chuteadapted to start the materials down the chute in charges or quantities.

12. In apparatus for delivering mixtures of fine and coarse materialsfrom one level to alower level in a thoroughly mixed condition, saidapparatus comprising an inclined chute,

a hopper into which the materials are dis charged from the lower end ofthe chute, and an upwardly-movable gate extending across the chute nearits upper end and so inclined as to partly engage under materials whichmay collect in the chute above the same.

13. Apparatus for delivering mixtures of fine and coarse materials fromone level to a lower level in a thoroughly-mixed condition, saidapparatus comprising an inclined chute, a hopper into which thematerials are discharged from the lower end of the chute, and a door forclosing the lower end of the chute normally held shut by yieldingpressure.

14:. Apparatus for delivering mixtures of fine and coarse materials fromone level to a

